Couple found dead in suspected murder-suicide in million-pound farmhouse

Detectives have launched an investigation following the discovery of the bodies of a man and a woman at a £1.2 million farmhouse in the popular holiday resort of Devon. Officers were called out to the plush four-bedroom home, which is set in its own 55-acre grounds in the village of Dunkeswell.

The property sits at the end of a private driveway on the edge of the village. Police were called following concerns from neighbours about the welfare of the couple. When officers arrived, they found that both of them were dead. The bodies were discovered last last night and, as yet, it is not known what led to neighbours becoming worried about the pair.

Forensic teams

Police are now looking in the circumstances surrounding the deaths, and say that the couple’s next of kin have been told. Today, a police guard can still be seen at the house, while investigations, including searches and forensic examinations, continue. Police cordoned off the lane leading to the house, and police tape could be seen stretching across the entrance to a courtyard into the stone built property.

According to housing portals, the property was sold in 2015, having been owned by its previous occupants for two decades. A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall police said that while investigations were still at very early stages, the force was not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

Anyone who has information about the deaths or the circumstances which may have led up to them is being urged to get in touch with police. The village of Dunkeswell has a population of just 1,400. It is best known for having its own busy small airfield, called Dunkeswell Aerodrom. During the Second World War, it was set up as a base for the American Navy and continues to offer civil flight services.